The morning Mira woke up in my arms, clinging to my shirt like she didn't want morning to come, was the same morning I had to tell her I was leaving.
I hated the timing.
I'd been pushing this trip for weeks, delaying meetings, rescheduling video calls, even pretending certain deals didn't exist. But there was only so long a man could postpone the businesses trying to pull him fully into the light. Every legitimate empire required its king to show face.
And if I wanted my daughter to grow up in a home untouched by doubt or shadow, I needed these deals airtight.
Still, saying the words out loud felt like tightening a knot inside my chest.
"Mira," I whispered as I tucked a stray curl behind her ear, "I have to leave for a few days."
Her eyes fluttered open, soft and sleepy, then blinked again as the sentence settled.
"What? Today?" she asked, voice small.
I nodded, caressing her cheek. "It's important, baby. Tied to the London expansion and the real estate partnership there."
